Page 14 - ATR 5 2013

News iN brief, moRe stUdy, please The highly controversial HOS regu-
Continued from page 13 U.S. Representatives Richard Hanna lations were published in the Federal
by next year. This database will identify (R-N.Y.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.) and Michael Register on Dec. 27, 2011. The most
any person who has previously tested Michaud (D-Maine) have introduced a contentious changes to HOS regulations
positive on a pre-employment drug bill to delay the 34-hour restart provi- included a mandatory 30-minute break
exam required by the federal govern- sion of the new hours-of-service (HOS) sometime during the first eight hours of
ment before being employed as a truck rules until an investigation of the meth- driving, and the requirement of two con-
driver. However, unless HHS recognizes odology used to formulate the rules that secutive rest periods between 1:00 a.m.
hair testing as an approved methodol- have been in effect sine July 1,2013, is - 5:00 a.m. during the 34-hour restart.
ogy, no positive hair test results will be conducted. FMCSA denied several requests
included in the national clearinghouse The True Understanding of the made by the industry and members of
database. The legislation introduced in Economy and Safety Act (TRUE Safety Congress to delay the scheduled July 1
November will enable those drug test Act, H.R. 3413) would reinstate the implementation date until 90 days fol-
results to be reported to the clearing- previous HOS rules made final by the lowing a ruling from a federal appeals
house. April 28, 2003 rule, and instructs the courts over the American Trucking
“This bill is a win-win for the Government Accountability Office Associations’ challenge of the rule.
trucking industry, law enforcement and (GAO) to examine how the Federal FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro
the safety of Arkansas families. By keep- Motor Carrier Safety Administration explained that “the agency continues
ing drug addicted drivers from behind (FMCSA) decided to mandate truck- to believe it is inappropriate to sacrifice
the wheel of rigs across the country, we ers to take 34 straight hours off-duty several months of safety benefits from
can reduce liability costs while prevent- before resetting their weekly work clock. the timely implementation of the rule,”
ing accidents to keep our roads and Furthermore, the bill prohibits FMCSA and added that the requests lacked
highways safer,” said Rep. Crawford. from re-implementing the new 34-hour “adequate support for delays.”
restart provision until six months On Aug. 2, 2013, the U.S. Court
after the GAO report is submitted to of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Congress. Circuit issued a ruling that upheld the

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14 arKansas trucKing report | issue 5 2013